South Normanton-based marketing agency Purpose Media has provided sponsorship and marketing support for the first Ryder Cup-style golf event for disabled people.

Called the Cairns Cup, the inaugural event at the Seve Ballesteros-designed The Shire London golf course will be followed by future Cairns Cup events at The Fortress (Michigan USA) in 2024, Celtic Manor (Wales) in 2026, Florida in 2028 and San Rogue, Gibraltar in 2030.

The tournament, sponsored by Amazon, has the backing of the ‘Ryder family’ and Tom Ryder Smith, the grandson of Samuel Ryder, who founded the Ryder Cup, has committed his full support to the Cairns Cup.

Each team has at least six different disabilities and WHS handicaps, ranging from scratch to 54, making the event available to all golfers who have a disability.

Purpose Media agreed to create branding for the UK event, manage social media, film the event and create promotional videos.

Matt Wheatcroft, of Purpose Media, said: “We have an established reputation for helping sports clubs and associations maximise the power of digital marketing. We are delighted to have been asked to support the launch of this inaugural event and look forward to playing a key role in the future.”

The Cairns Cup, aka ‘The Billy, arose from the Phoenix Cup 2018 in Florida when a team of disabled golfers from USA and Europe played at Rotonda Golf Club, Florida. Billy Cairns was a team member of the travelling European team and passed away the day after arriving in Florida.